Kind Minds©!! "Be kind, or be quiet."

I have the opportuntity to work with some really AMAZING people. I mean AMAZING people who genuinely care about our youth. I actually work at a great schoolhouse. I call it a schoolhouse, because it's my home away from home. Anywho, one of my dearest colleagues and friend has created an awesome school wide program called Kind Minds©. She has gone completely out with this program and it has truly set an even more peaceful, kind, and sweet tone at the schoolhouse. Each month we are given a school challenge. Each challenge includes a letter from our mascot explaining how great we did as a school and how he's excited for the next challenge. In his letters were given the name of the book we're suppose to read and what our challenge is. Well this month we were responsible for reading the book One by: Kathryn Otashi. Can you say Oh My Word!! This book is so precious. My firsties LOVED it!!

One by: Kathryn Otashi

So after I read our letter from our mascot to my firsties we read One. This book was great! It focuses on bulllying. In this story the color Blue is quiet and the color Red is a hot head who is mean and picks on Blue. The colors Yellow, Orange, Green, and Purple don't like this but don't have the courage to speak up and stand up for Blue. Then One comes along and shows all the colors how to take a stand together and help Blue. It's simply, simply precious.

So after reading One our job was to create an idea that complimented each and every child in our class. Well I thought it would be great for us to create a poster for everyone. So I took some white construction paper, wrote each's child name in the middle of their poster and as a class during our "Morning Meeting" or some call it "Care Time" we each said something nice about the person and I wrote it down with there name next to it. I did at least 4 per day. Two in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. I know some of you are thinking how do I have the time? Well let's just say I MAKE the time. Yes, my students are expected to learn many things. However, I believe that empathy and compassion is just as important if not more. Here is an example of one of our posters. My firsties thought it was important that they made one for me to. Awwwww I just love them!



I explained to my firsties that when they are feeling a little "Blue" that they may go out into the hallway (as long as I'm not teaching a mini lesson) and take a look at their poster and read all the awesome things their buddies think of them. My last picture today is the final product of our challenge. It says, "Miss May's Firsties Know All About Making People Feel Special!